Do Mailboxes Still Matter?

It’s a bit unsettling to think that we may be on the cusp of losing the mailbox as a part of our daily lives, but with the obsolescent U.S. Postal Service billions of dollars in debt and the unstoppable advancement of digital communication it’s seems obvious that the mailbox is on its way out.
Or, is it?
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of snail mail – starting with the cons.
<strong>Snail Mail Cons</strong>
<em>Stamps</em>: It’s hard for the USPS to justify the perpetual increases in the price of stamps because a) the extra dough won’t right the sinking ship and b) American taxpayers are already on the hook for the organization's debt.
<em>Delivery Times</em>: No matter how fast the USPS gets it’s still going to be slower than near-instantaneous Internet speeds, at least when it comes to simple letters.
<em>Cost</em>: The USPS is a bloated blight on the federal budget, and while it may be Congress’s fault it will never be able to compete with private carriers that can more effectively streamline operations.
<em>Effort</em>: It’s sad to admit, but many people have simply lost interest in the art and ritual of letter writing.
<strong>Snail Mail Pros</strong>
<em>Nostalgia</em>: No matter what happens, the romanticism and legacy of the USPS will live forever, and while it still breathes there will be a chance for people to experience the magic of getting a <em>real letter</em> – written by hand, on paper, and sent with more feeling and deliberation than it takes to click a button.
<em>Variety</em>: People like options, and even though fewer people are exercising their access to snail mail, it's comforting to know that we can still pen a letter and pop it in the mail for delivery.
<em>Privacy</em>: It probably hasn't registered for too many folks yet, but snail mail is one of the few remaining ways we can communicate without being tagged and tracked like livestock. Email is forever. Phone call logs are always recorded. Simple letters, though, travel more or less anonymously, their contents largely ignored.
<a href="http://www.atgstores.com/" target="_blank">ATGStores.com</a> welcomes your opinions on the fate of the mailbox – will it live on, or are its days numbered?